


Touch Base

by OwOikawa



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Baseball, Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-04
Updated: 2019-05-04
Packaged: 2020-01-23 04:04:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18541900
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OwOikawa/pseuds/OwOikawa
Summary: He watches as Sasuke rounds third, racing towards home plate with the signal from Kakashi. His legs are already halfway over the dugout, ready to jump out and swarm the plate should Sasuke score— and he damn well should score, because that ball went deep into right field— with a bucket of water clutched tightly in between his fingers that he plans on dunking over him. Sasuke falls into a dive, fingers stretching towards the home plate, and Naruto doesn’t know if he can’t bear to look or if he can’t tear his eyes away as the ball shoots towards the catcher’s mitt from the first baseman.





	Touch Base

**Author's Note:**

> I felt like, despite all the fanfiction in Naruto, there aren’t enough baseball AU fics. I absolutely adore baseball and the dynamics between players, and I hope others can love this sport too ❤️. I do have some technical baseball terms, but I hope they’re easy to learn and understand and/or I explain them well (also, I’m Extremely upset because my favorite teams are both not doing That Great and I need something to cope).

Naruto doubles over near the field, wheezing and pounding his fist to his chest. He drops his bag onto the dirt and throws his cap next to it. “Fuck,” he gasps between labored breaths, leaning (or rather, falling) into the fence. He feels like his lungs are being compressed and then pounded by a meat tenderizer and his heart is beating faster than Naruto can possibly quantify. A few seconds later, another figure collapses against the fence as well, breathing heavily and trembling with exhaustion.

“I won,” Naruto mutters, breaths starting to deepen and slow down.

“You had a twenty second head start,” Sasuke replies, still panting and shaking, hands on his knees. He wipes his forehead with the back of his hand before tossing his head back to get some air. 

“Still won,” Naruto counters weakly, sliding down onto the ground and picking up his cap. It’s covered in dirt, so he shakes it off with a flick of his fingers. 

“We technically weren’t on the same playing field here,” Sasuke argues, sliding down as well. His legs flop out in front of him and he wipes his brow again. He coughs twice, choking a bit on the second as he gasps for air.

Naruto copies what he says, but in a nasal and mocking voice that he’s somehow perfected within his years on Konoha’s baseball team, which he knows Sasuke hates with all of his being. He knows he’s right when Sasuke aims a sharp glare at him with narrowed eyes and tightly pressed lips that read  _shut the fuck up, dumbass._  

“Hoho! What do I see here?” Someone intervenes, their shadow looming over the two of them. “No time to be sulking, boys! Practice is in thirty seconds!”

Naruto groans, thumping his fist against the dirt twice. “Whyyyyy,” he cries, slamming the back of his head against the fence. Sasuke heaves a breath next to him, eyes rolling before reaching over and picking up his bag. He digs his toes into the dirt, forcing himself up into a standing position.

“Would you look at that! Sasuke’s up first, Naruto!”

Naruto grumbles. 

“If you let Sasuke beat you to practice, you’re getting three extra laps!”

A scream of despair rips itself out of his throat. “Kakashi, why?”

Kakashi grins, leaping and bounding towards the gate without an answer. Within a few seconds, he is completely out of sight. Naruto mutters a few choice words at him before scrabbling through the dirt and kicking himself up too.

“Glad you decided to join me,” Sasuke drawls, arms crossed and bag slung over his shoulder. He’s picking dirt from underneath his fingernails and patting away caked sweat on his palms.

“Shut up,” Naruto grumbles, wiping his hands down his pants. “We’re both gonna be late.”

“Who’s fault is that?” Sasuke replies, transitioning into a fast walk. “I wasn’t the one busy trying to set up a prank on Sai.”

“Don’t you think it’d be hilarious to prank Sai? Dude never has any emotions,” he says, joining Sasuke in their fast-paced walk. 

“No, because I’m not immature,” Sasuke answers, but he’s pressing his lips together in the way Naruto knows as him trying to suppress a smile. He turns his head to the side with a grin, satisfied.

As they approach the gates for the field, Naruto picks up the pace into a small jog, watching as Sasuke, too, falls into step. The sweat is really starting to pour down Naruto’s forehead, falling into his eyes and dampening his hair. There’s just a few more paces before they reach, but Naruto feels like he’s getting roasted over open flame with the way the sun is shining.

“Hey!” Someone calls, hands waving excitedly near the gate. “I was just about to lock this thing. Get in here!”

“Yo! Thanks!” Naruto shouts through labored breaths, waving back. “How late are we, Sakura?”

She winks as they come to a stop next to her, bright green eyes twinkling. “If you slip in right now, I’ll make up something to tell Tsunade.”

Naruto thinks he’s just about to hug her to death. His arms are already in the air, ready to embrace their assistant, before wheezing and clutching his side. He squeezes his eyes shut, trying to direct his attention away from the blaring pain in his right abdomen. “Ow...” He mutters.

”No hugs!” Sakura yells, waving her fist. “Not while you’re sweaty and gross, at least.”

”Haha,” Naruto laughs sheepishly, scratching the back of his head and digging his fingers into bright blonde hair. “Right.”

”Now get in! Or else she’s gonna rip you guys a new one!”

”Thanks again!” Naruto calls, mock saluting her before dashing off. Sasuke nods towards Sakura before rejoining him. 

“There you are, Naruto!” Shikamaru’s familiar voice calls, standing up from the field. He’s running towards them with his catcher’s gear on and his mask pulled back. His usual ponytail is squished down (likely from the helmet) and his knee guards are half unbuckled. “And Sasuke! Where have you guys been?”

”Um,” Naruto mutters, eyes searching around.

”We were, uh,” Sasuke begins at the same time.

”They were helping me with the lock,” Sakura says, popping up from behind him, pleasant smile on her face despite her heavy breathing. She reaches up to tie her long hair up, shaking her wrist lightly before securing the band. “Someone really messed with something in the gears, so it wouldn’t lock no matter what I did. The keys wouldn’t work.”

”And you thought these two were the best options for help?” Shikamaru asks, eyes narrowing. “Sasuke I get, maybe, but Naruto?”

”Well, uh,” Sakura fumbles around for a bit. “Some problems you just gotta brute force. They were the first two I found, right?”

”Huh? Oh yeah! You know, really pull and tug on that thing, yeah?” Naruto chimes in, grinning with all his teeth showing. Sasuke doesn’t say anything to incriminate himself. Probably a good choice, Naruto thinks, when he looks back on the event.

”Right.” Shikamaru doesn’t look convinced, but he doesn’t say anything more. “Anyways, Naruto, I need you to warm up a bit, since you’re starting tomorrow. And Sasuke, You’re doing triangle drills with Lee and Choji. You’re probably going to move on to in game situations, but don’t take my word for it. Tsunade’s talking with Hinata right now.”

Sasuke nods easily, throwing his bag to the grass and taking out his glove before joining Lee and Choji, who have just been tossing the ball back and forth.

”I’ll leave you guys to it,” Sakura grins, waving as she dashes off to the dugout. “Got some last minute analyzing I need to do for the bottom of Sunagakure’s order and I can’t have Hinata doing all the work.”

”Thanks for the hard work, Sakura,” Shikamaru says, before flipping his mask over his face. They walk in the direction of the bullpen, listening to the screams and shouts of their team (the screams and shouts of Kiba, really, because he’s the loudest of them all).

“So! So!” Naruto begins, bouncing on his heels and looking at Shikamaru. “Got any plans for tomorrow?”

Shikamaru nods. “Sakura and Hinata have gotten some really good data on the heart of their lineup. I’m not too worried about anyone but the cleanup and the fifth batter, so let’s focus on them first.”

”What kinda pitches should work on ‘em?”

”From what they’ve gathered, cleanup’s a rightie really likes outside balls. I assume they put him there since they’ve researched you.”

”Awwww,” Naruto whines.

”Don’t be dejected. Those were my calls, and I guess we have been going outside a lot to both righties and lefties. I think we should work on that screwball and two-seam of yours today. I think even if he can hit them, we can bait him into a pop fly instead of a long shot. Not that I don’t trust Sai, Kiba, and Shino, but he does hit pretty far.”

”Roger that,” Naruto says, moving his cap slightly as they reach the bullpen. “But you said inside, right? What about changeups?”

”I thought about it,” Shikamaru replies, walking over to the catcher’s spot. “But I’m not sure you won’t accidentally hit him. Tensions are pretty high in this game, after all. An HBP won’t look that pretty, and I’m a bit worried about your consistency.”

Naruto pouts, but doesn’t complain. Shikamaru’s usually right about this stuff. “What about the fifth batter?”

”He’s a big guy and a leftie. The girls haven’t gotten anything specific that we can target him on. His BA’s 0.368 so far, and he’s hit 13 home runs. It’s still really early in the season, so that’s a bit concerning to me.” Shikamaru settles down into a crouch, adjusting his gear slightly. “I know you won’t like this, but I think we should intentionally walk him if it’s early in the game.”

”What?” Naruto screeches. “Intentionally walk him?”

Shikamaru sighs. “I can’t think of a way to deal with him. If I do, I’ll let you know, but Tsunade and I talked it over. We both think it’s best.”

Naruto huffs. “I really don’t like this.”

”I know, and I’m sorry,” Shikamaru says, putting his mitt on. “I’ll watch some videos tonight and try to get something, okay? Maybe Sakura and Hinata will dig up something, they always come through in the end.”

”Fineeeeee.”

”Good. Now, do you remember the signs for a screwball? I feel like we haven’t used it in a while, since your slider and splitter have become kind of a trademark.”

”Of course I remember the signs!” Naruto digs through his bag, looking for his mitt. “Just cus’ we haven’t used it in a while doesn’t mean I don’t practice it at home, ya know!”

Naruto triumphantly pulls out his mitt, turning it over to check the laces before sliding it over his fingers.

Shikamaru blinks. “Ha! I guess you’re right,” he laughs moments later, grinning as he punches the inside of his mitt. “Fine then. Let’s do this.”

”You got it!”

 

⚾️🍥⚾️

 

“Hey, Hinata,” Naruto says, finding a seat next to her during dinner. Today’s menu is curry and rice, and Naruto thinks his paper plate is going to collapse with how much curry he’s poured on. It’s the spicy and sweet kind that Naruto loves with just about everything, and he can feel his mouth water at the scent. He makes it to the table safely and crosses his ankles comfortably under his seat. 

“Hi,” she replies shyly, smiling. “How was practice?”

”Man!” He whines. “Shikamaru had me throwing screwballs ‘til my shoulders were like a bag of rocks! And then he got mad at me for not saying anything! Something about how I’m the starting pitcher and how I can’t get injured during practice. I only just took that heavy ice pack off!”

She laughs, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. It’s been growing for a while, and now it’s about the length of her shoulders. “He was just looking out for you.”

”I know, I know,” Naruto answers, crossing his arms. “Oh! _And_  Kakashi made me run extra laps!”

”What for?”

”He said if Sasuke got to practice before I did, he’d make me do extra, but we got there at the same time! He ended up making both of us run extra,” he frowns. “Now I kinda feel gross and noodle-y.”

”At least it was both of you, right?”

Naruto grumbles. “I guess.”

“Did you get any batting practice in?”

”Nope!” Naruto cheers, smile suddenly back on his face. “I hate batting practice!”

”Because you suck at it?” Sakura asks, sliding in across from Hinata with a smirk. Her portion of curry is large (not as mountainous as Naruto’s), and she sets it down with care, checking her hands and skirt for any stains.

“I’m a pitcher, I don’t need to worry about batting!”

”I don’t think any other pitcher in our league that bats lower than you,” she teases. “In fact, I don’t think _anyone_  in our league bats lower than you.”

”My BA isn’t _that_ low!” Naruto exclaims indignantly, crossing his arms.

”0.053 is pretty low,” Sasuke mutters, joining them and sitting to the left of Naruto. “But I guess your OBP isn’t bad considering that. For some shit reason, you get walked all the time.”

Naruto whips toward him, anger evident in the way his eyebrows furrow. He scrunches up his forehead and presses his lips together. “This entire team is targeting me,” he complains. 

“Even Hinata?” Sakura asks, finger on her chin and leaning over the table. 

“Okay, everyone _but_  Hinata. She’s my only real friend here!” He drops his spoon mid yell, and curry flies out onto the table and over his shirt. “Damnit!”

Hinata laughs quietly, patting his arm gently. 

“Honestly, Hinata,” Sakura sighs, reaching over to grab a fistful of napkins to wipe down the table, handing the remainder to him so he can wipe his shirt. “How can you deal with a guy that sprays his curry everywhere and not even complain?”

“His BA might be super low,” Hinata says, folding her hands over her lap with a small smile. “And you’re right, I guess, he does spill his food every other dinner—“

“Hey!”

‘But his pitching repertoire really is one of the best I’ve seen. If he ends up playing somewhere that allows designated hitters, I think he could really make it far,” she smiles faintly, eyes kind. “Plus, it’s kinda funny to watch him bat.”

”Aw, shucks,” Naruto mutters, wiping away the now yellow stain with Sakura’s napkins.

“Doesn’t mean you get to slack off on batting practice, though,” Sasuke interjects. “They don’t even need to throw accurately to you. It’s just three swinging strikes in a row. The pitch could be seven feet off the strike zone and you’d still swing. Hell, it could be seven feet off the _plate_  and you’d still swing.”

”Shut the _fuck_ up,” Naruto replies, but the heat isn’t really in it. “You’re cool, you bat third, fourth, or fifth all the time, I get it.”

”Well, he _is_  really good at batting. And fielding. And base running,” Sakura supplies, grinning.

Naruto bristles, but doesn’t comment. He can’t argue with the fact that Sasuke’s amazing at everything on the field— the fucker’s made for baseball— and can hit the ball farther and more precisely than anyone on the team. Choji can slam the ball harder, farther, but doesn’t have the kind of precision that makes crowds gasp and players shudder. Lee might be faster and steal more bases, but Sasuke isn’t far behind on speed and when he does decide to steal, he does it in the sneakiest of ways that rarely lead to him getting caught. He’s concentrated and flexible, tall and adaptable, and honestly, Naruto doesn’t know if he’d rather have anyone else in the world to cover him as a first baseman.

Not, of course, that he would ever mention it.

Suddenly, there’s a shriek of laughter from behind him. “Fuck! Fuck! Get it off him!”

”Kiba, you fuckin’ idiot! Shut the fuck up!”

”I can’t!” Kiba wheezes, clutching his stomach. “It’s too funny.”

Behind him, Kiba is pointing at Sai, face contorted in laughter. He howls, clutching his stomach and doubling over.

“What’s funny?” Sai asks, calmly turning behind him towards Kiba.

Kiba pounds his fists against the table. “Your ass, dude!”

”Oh,” Sai says looking down. “This? I noticed it a while ago. I don’t mind it.”

Naruto splutters, choking on a piece of potato that gets stuck in his throat. Sasuke smiles smugly next to him, legs and arms crossed. “Told ya he wouldn’t freak out,” Sasuke says. 

“Again. Shut the _fuck_  up.”

Sasuke continues smiling in that infuriatingly smug manner. Naruto thinks he would find it extremely satisfying to dunk Sasuke into that boiling curry pot just about now.

“Oh my fucking god,” Sakura groans, shaking her head. “Don’t tell me _this_  is why you guys were late to practice.”

” _This_ is why _Naruto_ was late. I happened to meet him and I tried to rope him out of it. Needless to say, it didn’t work.”

”Ha!” Naruto yells. 

“I’m never covering for you again,” Sakura says, shaking her head. “Do you fuckers know how _long_  it’ll take to get those stains out? And the burn marks! We’ll have to buy him a new jersey at this point.”

Hinata bursts into laughter, covering her mouth. “Don’t worry too much. With a couple cleans, it’ll come out.”

”Hinata, you’re sweet and adorable, but Naruto’s gonna have to clean the entire thing up himself. I won’t let you clean it for him, and nor will Tsunade,” Sakura says, crossing her arms firmly. 

“It really is okay,” Hinata says, smile on her lips. “I don’t mind the work.”

”Nope. He’s learning his lesson today,” Sakura states. “And that’s final.”

”Sakura!”

“Sakura~!” She mocks. “Hinata isn’t cleaning that jersey! She does enough work.”

Naruto hangs his head. “Fineeee.”

”Thank you,” Sakura says, patting his back gently. “Cleaning isn’t that bad. Just this once, buddy.”

”I think it’s ‘bout time we head back,” Shikamaru says, walking over to their table. “Naruto, I came to get you since I’ve got something to talk about on the way back to the dorms. Sasuke, you should come too, I guess, since we’re all goin’ to the same place.”

Sasuke nods, wiping his mouth one more time before folding his plate in half and making his way towards the garbage can.

”Hinata, Sakura, you want someone to walk you back?” Shikamaru offers.

”I’m good, but thank you!” Hinata replies, smiling. “Shino and Kiba already said they would, since Neji isn’t here today.”

”Same here. I’ve gotta talk to Ino for a bit about how she’s organizing the cheering squad,” Sakura answers.

”Okay. Then I’ll see you guys tomorrow?” Shikamaru says.

”Yeah. I’ll send you the data on the eighth and ninth batter.”

”Don’t stay up too late! It’s a big game tomorrow,” Hinata laughs, before folding her plate as well. 

“Roger!” Naruto cheers.

”See you,” she smiles, waving, before walking towards Kiba (who’s still howling with laughter) and Shino (who’s not laughing at all). 

“Bye guys,” Sakura says, before she, too, leaves the building with her phone in her hand. 

“We should get going too,” Shikamaru comments, pulling the band on his hair tighter and adjusting his sleeves. “Sasuke, you ready?”

Sasuke, who’s coming back from the trash can, nods. 

Once they’re out of the building, Shikamaru turns towards Naruto. “I was thinking about what we talked about in the bullpen.”

”You came up with something against the fifth batter?”

”Kind of. We’ll test it out the first time he’s at bat if it’s a tied game or we’re ahead. It’s risky, and I don’t want to give up the lead early,” Shikamaru explains.

”Their fifth batter?” Sasuke asks. “That’d be Kankuro, wouldn’t it?”

”Yeah,” Shikamaru says. “The guy isn’t that big, but his OPS is terrifying.”

”Hmm,” Sasuke mutters. “It’s been a while since we’ve played Sunagakure, actually. I think I remember him a little. Hits into right field a shit ton.”

”Mhm. I trust you and Kiba with hard balls and chasing down fly balls, but if he slams it over the wall there isn’t really anything I can do. Which is why I told Naruto we should intentionally walk him earlier.”

Naruto frowns at the memory.

”It’s true he doesn’t like giving up walks. When they’re intentional, at least,” Sasuke comments.

Naruto blinks, trying to process what Sasuke had just said. Shikamaru snorts, covering his mouth. 

“He does get us into lots of bases loaded situations,” Shikamaru laughs.

”Hey!” Naruto yells. “Pitching into a tiny little box isn’t that easy, y’know!”

”Yet when we’re in the worst of situations, you always seem to pull through. It could be the bottom of the ninth with two outs, and you’d probably load up all the bases with unintentional walks,” Shikamaru says lightly. “But for some reason, once the bases are loaded, you get those strikeouts insanely quick.”

Sasuke snorts. “You give the outfield a heart attack every time that happens.”

”Anyways,” Shikamaru interjects before Naruto can protest. “Remember that I said Sakura and Hinata couldn’t find any details on him?”

Naruto nods.

”Well, Sakura sent me something right after practice. I’m not sure how effective it’ll be, but I think it’s worth a shot if it’s early in the game and the bases are empty.”

”What’s the plan?” Sasuke asks, tucking hair behind his ear. 

“Well, of course, we’ll need the infield to shift. I’ll text you when we get back, since the plan’s pretty detailed. As for you, Naruto, I think we might be able to draw swinging strikes.”

”Swinging strikes?”

”I didn’t run this by Tsunade, and I doubt she’d approve, but I think there’s some baiting we can do. Just trust my calls,” Shikamaru explains.

“Well, I trust your calls regardless.”

Shikamaru grins. “Knew I could count on you. Tomorrow’ll be fun. My dorm’s over here, so I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

”See ya, Shikamaru!”

”Bye,” Sasuke says.

”Make sure he doesn’t sleep really late again,” Shikamaru instructs Sasuke sternly.

”Sure.”

Shikamaru turns, waving and jogging slowly to the right. Naruto watches him go for a few seconds, before beginning to walk in step with Sasuke again. They don’t talk for the last block, and Naruto listens to the sound of their footsteps against the pavement. He’s excited for tomorrow’s game, but right now, he feels calm. It’s a big rivalry game, but it’s at home. The games at Sunagakure Stadium will be decidedly less fun (why is their outfield so deep?) and there will be more resentment in the air. He looks at Sasuke, who’s scuffing his shoe against a crack in the pavement and frowning. He looks calm too, with his dark hair clipped away from his face and the even set of his shoulders. Sasuke takes his key out from his back pocket as they climb up the stairs towards their dorm and inserts it into the keyhole with veteran ease.

”We’re back,” Sasuke says, taking off his shoes and setting them inside the door. 

“Yo,” Kiba grins from the doorway. “Didn’t think you guys would be back so soon.”

Sasuke rolls his eyes. “Sorry we interrupted your “me - time” I guess.”

Kiba laughs. “As you can see, I’m decent. No tissues lying around the room either.”

”Gross,” Sasuke mutters.

”You got Hinata back?” Naruto asks after he kicks off his shoes too. 

“Yup. Neji’s still a little sick, but Tsunade says he’s okay for tomorrow. He’ll start at second, so don’t worry.”

”Cool,” Naruto replies, shutting the door behind him. “Do we have any water?”

”Yeah. Also, Hinata told me to give you a note.”

”Oh?”

”Yeah. Something about the fifth batter, I think? I didn’t read it because that’s dickish, but if it’s not too confidential, it’d be cool to know.”

Naruto accepts the folded up graph paper with an outstretched hand, ignoring the small, neat scratch work. In dark purple pen, Hinata’s small handwriting says _Watch feet positioning!!!!_  and nothing else. It’s circled three times, with messily drawn cleats. Naruto can’t understand the drawings (he’s sure Shikamaru could have), but he shows the note to Kiba and Sasuke.

”Feet?” Kiba asks, scratching his chin. “Does that have something to do with what ball he wants?”

”Seems reasonable,” Sasuke replies. “People have small habits that they pick up without even realizing it, so if it means anything, this could be a real big weapon.”

”Yeah,” Kiba replies. “For Naruto.”

”Hm?” Naruto says. “Why me?”

”You have the best view of his feet from the angle Hinata’s pointed out.” Kiba traces the scratches of the shoes. “Shika probably has the best view out of all of us since he’s right next to him, but the angle might be hard to notice.”

”Maybe this is what Shikamaru said when he said you guys could draw swinging strikes,” Sasuke comments. “Sakura probably gave him the same thing? I remember seeing her give a piece of paper to him.”

Kiba grins. “Okay, let’s not think too much about it. Talking this in depth about looking at feet angles makes me feel like an old man with a foot fetish. Let’s just crush ‘em tomorrow. S’not like Naruto can come up with a plan either.”

”Hey!”

”Yeah,” Sasuke says, reaching towards the light. “I’ve got the first shower. See you guys tomorrow.”

”See ya,” Kiba says, leaning back on the counter.

Naruto watches him leave, his heart still pounding at the excitement and anticipation of tomorrow’s game. His stomach is churning, his lungs are folding, and he’s shaking. 

“Hey, Kiba.”

”Mhm?”

”Let’s win.”

Kiba snorts. “‘Course. What else would we do, anyways?”

 

⚾️ 🍥 ⚾️

 

”Wake the fuck up,” someone says, shoving Naruto around in his bed. Naruto opens his eyes just a little, wincing at the bright morning sunlight from the windows.

”Grrrrr,” Naruto groans, kicking the person and attempting to slap their hands away. “Wanna sleeeeeeeeeep...”

”You have classes today. Move your lazy ass.”

”Huh?” Naruto grumbles, flipping onto his back and looking at the ceiling.

”If you don’t get up right now, I will throw out all your shitty, expired ramen, and Kiba will help me with it.”

”No!” Naruto leaps up, his hat flopping over his eyes. “Don’t you fuckin dare throw it out!”

”Thank fuck,” Sasuke mutters. “If you didn’t get up I would’ve beat your ass, but then Shikamaru would’ve killed me.”

Naruto glares at him, before tossing his blanket off and padding towards the bathroom. He rolls his shoulders forwards, then backwards, relieved that he doesn’t feel any tension in them. He feels like he’s in full control of his body, grinning in the mirror as he grabs his toothbrush and scrubs violently at his front teeth. As he watches bubbles foam up in his mouth, he thinks about the grip for a screwball, fingers grasping at an imaginary ball. After he spits out minty water, he quickly washes his face with a splash of water and unties a twist-tie over their room’s shared loaf of bread. He snags a piece, folding it into quarters and shoving it in his mouth as he grabs his backpack and zips up the big zipper without much thought. “I’m leavin’!” He calls to no one in particular, stuffing his feet into his sneakers and swinging his backpack onto his shoulders.

Naruto locks the door and begins his jog to class, breathing in the warm, sunny air. He runs through patches of trees and along a small stream, stopping only to wave to Shino, who’s quietly walking towards class with headphones in his ears. Shino waves back before continuing in the other direction. 

He eventually gets to the lecture hall. Opening the door with a big swing, he searches around for familiar long, dark hair and a white canvas bag.

“Hey Neji,” he says when he finds him, sliding into the seat next to him. “How’re you feelin?”

Neji, who’s halfway done tying his hair, nods towards him. “Fine. Could be better, but I don’t think I’m going to drip snot all over the grass anymore. Tsunade said she’d start me at second base today.”

”That’s good,” Naruto drawls, sliding down his seat. “You sure you’re gonna be fine though?”

”Yeah,” Neji answers, finishing his half ponytail off with a flick of his wrist. “Gonna make it.”

Naruto laughs, nodding and setting his bag down. He slides down the seat, chin digging into his chest. 

”Hey guys!” A girl with dark brown hair pulled into two buns says, on the other side of Neji. Naruto’s seen her in class and somewhere else, but can’t seem to place it. Her large brown eyes are twinkling with excitement and her grin spreads from across her cheeks.“Big game tonight, yeah?”

”Yup,” Naruto says, smiling at her. “Sunagakure, y’know?”

”You’re Tenten, right?” Neji asks, turning his gaze towards her. His hair falls across his shoulder, and his arm is hanging over the back of his seat as he turns to see her. “From the softball team?”

”Number 24, Shortstop, Tenten!” She says, mock saluting. “We’re here ‘ta cheer you guys on today!”

”Thanks,” Naruto replies, aiming a toothy grin at her. “It’s gonna be a full three game series at home against ‘em.”

There’s a pause, where the three of them don’t speak. Tenten’s eyes are searching, darting across the room and her teeth are chewing at her bottom lip. She hums, swinging her leg over the seat and looking at the two of them. 

”Crush Sunagakure’s ass,” she finally grits, tone turning dark and eyes narrowing in on them. “I fuckin’ hate Sunagakure.”

”Sure,” Neji replies easily, twirling a mechanical pencil in his hand and leaning back against his seat. “Don’t all of us?”

She laughs, lightening up again and shaking her head. She tucks a strand of hair that’s fallen out of her bun behind her ear, tilting her head slightly towards the projector. “I guess we do. Large rivalry n’all.”

Naruto nods, chewing on the inside of his cheek. The professor walks in, and he tries to focus on the slides in the front of the classroom to say. Needless to say, he doesn’t pay attention for the rest of class (too busy thinking about the game) and ends up having to ask Neji for his notes, which he was very reluctant to share (“For once in your life, pay attention, will you?”). He thanks Neji quickly, racing out of the classroom and back to the dormitory. His brain feels like mush after class and feels a bit faint, but hopefully it’ll be better once the game starts.

“You’re back,” Sasuke says in greeting when he unlocks the door and toes off his shoes. Sasuke’s sitting on the couch with his, Kiba’s, and Naruto’s bags next to the kitchen counter. He looks calm and concentrated, and Naruto watches him pick it up and sling it over his shoulder. 

“That, I am,” Naruto replies, tossing his backpack to the side. “Time?”

”S’three thirty,” Sasuke answers, grunting softly as he bends down to put on his shoes. “Once Kiba’s back from his class, we’re gonna head over. Your bag packed?”

“Yeah.”

Sasuke nods before chucking a water bottle in Naruto’s direction. “For Lee. He said he needs an extra since he’s already at the field. Probably gonna drink all three bottles he brings every game in one go.”

Naruto catches it with ease, tucking it into his bag. “Of course he is. Don’t tell me he’s there with Gai again?”

Sasuke sighs, pursing his lips tightly. “Most of us try to stay away from the personal trainer as far as possible. Don’t know why he’s so attatched.”

Naruto snorts loudly, scratching his arm as he shoves his shoes on. “Doesn’t he wear some special undershirt Gai gave him? Something to give him ‘Shortstop Superpowers?’”

”Yeah.”

Naruto shakes his head. “I’m gonna take that away from him one day.”

”Heyo boys!” Kiba yells from the door without warning, shoes already halfway off. They didn’t even hear Kiba unlocking the door. “I’m back n ready to roll!”

”Grab your shit first,” Sasuke says, leaning against the counter top. “We’re heading out once you’re done.”

”Haha! Roger.” Kiba runs toward his room and reappears a minute later, his cap haphazardly thrown on and bending over near the counter to grab his bag. His bat is half stuffed into it and his gloves are on the verge of falling out, hanging haphazardly out of Kiba’s broken zipper. “Ready to go!”

 

🍥⚾️🍥

 

The warmup for the game begins, and Naruto’s tossing the ball back and forth with Choji for now. Choji, who’s used to the hot corner balls, is able to catch his faster thrown balls, making him the best warm up partner. He would practice with Shikamaru, but both of them agreed that they’d save their game of catch for the game, since Naruto knows he’d get way too nervous.

“You feeling good today?” Choji asks, rolling his right shoulder a couple times. “I have a feeling it’s going to be a long game and I don’t know how well our bullpen’s gonna be, ‘specially since we got so many injuries now.”

”Mhm,” Naruto replies, cracking his neck once. “Shoulder feels good for me. Let’s just hope we don’t get into a situation were we need a reliever, I guess.”

”That’s good,” Choji comments, his sentence punctuated by the sound of the ball hitting his mitt. “That you’re shoulder’s fine, I mean. Shika would’ve freaked.”

Naruto laughs, catching the ball Choji just threw towards him. “Yeah. I guess so.” He glances over at the dugout before noticing that everyone’s heading back in for the pre-game meeting and they must have missed the signal. Naruto nods at Choji, who catches the final ball and the two of them rush off the field. 

“Okay everyone!” A voice over the speakers yells. “Welcome to Konoha Stadium, home of the Konoha Blazes, playing against the visiting team, the Sunagakure Zephyrs.”

“Here is the starting lineup for the visitng Zephyrs...” the announcer says. Naruto doesn’t pay much attention to the names, ears perking up when they reach the fifth batter. “Batting fifth is number 21, the catcher, Kankuro,” he hears. _Kankuro._ The small away team crowd cheers loudly as Kankuro walks out of Sunagakure’s dugout, waving. He’s wearing dark purple eye black to match their jersey colors, stepping confidently next to the fourth batter.

“And...” the announcer calls. “The final batter is the pitcher, Gaara. Their head coach is Rasa.”

Naruto looks towards Tsunade, who’s lips are pursed together. “I don’t like him that much,” she mutters. “And not submitting last names for their players? That’s fucking weird.”

He laughs, nodding to himself and digging through his bag. “Pretty weird.” 

Naruto triumphantly pulls out his stick of eye black, drawing three thick stripes on each side of his cheek. He knows he really only needs one stripe for its purpose to be served, but it’s become a habit that he doesn’t know the origins of. 

“Okay boys. You’ve heard the game plan, and you know the strategies. Sakura and Hinata dug out all the data they could and this starting lineup is one I know that can beat Sunagakure. Stay hydrated and hit some fuckin’ dingers, okay?” The team nods, giving each other high fives enthusiastically.

”Oh, and where’s Kakashi?” Naruto asks.

Sasuke shakes his head. “Where do you think? He’s always fuckin’ late. Hopefully he’s here soon since we have the field first.”

“And now the starting lineup for the Blazes: batting first is number 32, shortstop Rock Lee!”

Roars erupt in their circle as Lee runs out of the dugout, flashing a thumbs up as he lines up along the first base line. Naruto looks to the cheering squad, led by the softball team, watching as they yell excitedly for him. He recognizes Tenten, who’s rapidly clapping her hands and kicking the fence. Naruto remembers that they’ve been friends for a long time, so it makes Naruto happy to see her cheering for him. In the front is Ino, her long, pale, blonde hair tied into a high ponytail. She’s wearing dark green eye black and, like the rest of the team, has her softball jersey on. 

“Batting second, number 14, centerfielder Sai!”

Tsunade mumbles. “Okay, I guess I don’t have a last name submitted for him either.” Naruto snorts, covering his mouth with his hand. 

“And batting third, it’s the first baseman Sasuke Uchiha!”

The crowd screams. The team gives each other the same look, muffling giggles as Sasuke walks calmly up the stairs, hands gripping the railing. They’re used to the enthusiasm in reaction to Sasuke coming out of the dugout and have come to not mind it. In fact, it’s kind of funny at this point. Naruto watches as Sasuke lines up next to Sai, the 17 on his back folding as he rolls his shoulders backwards and cracks his neck.

”Our fourth batter today is number 8, third baseman Choji Akimichi!”

Choji clambers out of the dugout as well, mouth set in a straight line as he jogs towards the three of their teammates already there. 

“Yeah, Choji!” Ino yells once the cheers have died down, hands cupped around her mouth. Choji waves at her once, before directing his attention back to Sunagakure.

“Batting fifth, number 15, catcher... Shikamaru Nara!”

Naruto whoops as Shikamaru gets up from his seat, fist bumping his battery-mate and clapping him on the back as he walks up the stairs. Shikamaru doesn’t wave or smile, just cross his arms behind his back and takes his spot next to Choji. He notices Shikamaru’s head tilt slightly, knowing that he’s scanning Sunagakure for Kankuro, the opposing catcher.

”Batting sixth is right fielder, number 36, Kiba Inuzaka,” the announcer roars.

Kiba yells as he runs out, pumping his fist. He’s jumping all over the place, cheering with the audience. He’s told Naruto about right field a lot, mostly that it involves a lot of standing still (which he can’t do very well) and a lot of listening to hecklers. Kiba said he needed to find ways to entertain himself, and decided on entertaining the crowds as well. He bends over backwards, shouting into the sky as he reaches the line.

“There’s our resident hype beast,” Sakura mutters, walking over to the bench. “Hinata’s gonna get here in a few seconds.”

”Sakura!” Naruto smiles, waving. “You’re here!”

”Hey,” she replies easily, leaning back on the seats with her notebook clutched tightly to her chest. Her long hair is pulled into a bun today, with clips to keep it out of her face, and she looks more ready than ever to concentrate on the game ahead. “Sorry it took a while, I needed to finalize a theory.”

Tsunade gives her a look with her eyes narrowed, and Naruto can only tell it’s confusion because he’s been around her for so long. He knows by the subtle tightening of her jaw and the tiny scrunch in her eyebrows that she hasn’t heard of the theory before. Tsunade, however, doesn’t say anything. 

”The seventh batter is number 21, second baseman, Neji Hyuga!” Neji leaves the dugout before Naruto can say anything, he himself not saying much in sharp contrast to Kiba’s demeanor. He’s calm, looking nowhere but at Sunagakure, even when the bright sun beats down on him. 

“Batting eighth today will be number 29, left fielder, Shino Aburame!”

”Seeya, Shino!” Naruto says, patting his back as Shino adjusts his shades as steps out of the dugout. He’s greeted by cheers too, and he humbly nods his head, finding his spot in line. Now that it’s only Naruto on the benches, he feels his stomach swarm with anxiety. His body trembles with excitement and he’d rather double over and lie on the ground than wait for his name, but that wouldn’t be very “ace pitcher” like. Instead, he grins at Sakura, who gives him a confident thumbs up. Tsunade ruffles his hair before crossing her arms and wearing an expression that says   _Go get ‘em._

“And the ninth batter for today will be number 9, pitcher, Naruto Uzumaki!”

He leaps up the stairs, relishing in the burning sun that acts like a stage light and the cheers of Konohagakure fans, breaking out into a smile, thinking that _yeah, okay, this is exactly why I started playing, and all this nervousness and tension is worth the thrill of the game._

**Author's Note:**

> The numbers for each players was kind of decided on gut feeling. Some have reasons, like Naruto being number 9, but most of them are what numbers pop into my head. There’s some numbers I absolutely don’t touch, like 22, because one of my favorite players on my sports team is 22. Just for fun, I gave Shikamaru 15 since I’m number 15, as well as Sai as 14 and Kiba as 36 because I was both at some point. Please feel free to ask about teams or players in the MLB because I LOVE talking about baseball!


End file.
